Protection of truth critical in 'disinformation age': Türkiye's head of communications
Director of Turkish Presidential Communications Directorate, Burhanettin Duran, underlines the need to protect truth and counter perception operations worldwide in today's 'age of disinformation'.
Türkiye’s Head of Communications, Prof Dr Burhanettin Duran, has warned that in the new security architecture, protecting the truth is a responsibility as critical as protecting physical borders.
“Disinformation isn’t just a communication issue, it poses a direct threat to national and even global security,” the Communications chief said on Friday.
Speaking at the International Strategic Communication (STRATCOM) Summit 2026 in Istanbul, he described a “disinformation age” where artificial intelligence, digital algorithms and media manipulation are used to distort reality, turning information into a weapon of global influence.
“As Türkiye, we embraced defending the truth not as optional, but as a fundamental duty and responsibility, in today’s ‘age of disinformation,’” he said.
He also emphasised the need for a strong “raison d’état” to counter the “perception operations” that attempt to manipulate the public’s views of the future.
“Ensuring justice in communication is a key to restoring global peace, security and stability,” Duran added.
Duran also argued that information has become a primary tool of power, no longer just a medium for communication or sharing knowledge.
Era of ‘uncertainty’
Communications chief warned that the post-World War II international system is undergoing structural collapse, creating deep “uncertainty” and shaking established norms of global governance.
He cited Gaza as an example of moral and systemic failures, saying that international silence has allowed one-sided narratives to erode credibility and normalise Islamophobic and racist rhetoric.
“International law has gone unenforced amid Israel’s genocide, while the global system has remained silent as civilians face widespread killings,
A group of countries that routinely apply double standards is not just eroding its credibility but losing the moral authority it once claimed,” Duran said.
Türkiye, Duran noted, has pursued a strategy of mediation and diplomacy, aiming to resolve conflicts in Ukraine, Syria and Iraq, where military solutions have faltered.
He noted that Türkiye’s centre for combating disinformation has flagged thousands of misleading reports since 2022, publishing findings in ten languages for both domestic and international audiences.
Duran called for an international ethical framework for digital communication, insisting that restoring trust in information is essential to rebuilding global stability and confidence.